Te rerenga pōuri o nga parawhenua ki Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa [The desolate journey of sediment to Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa – the Pacific Ocean] explores the devastating impacts of land management policies on the Waiapu River region over the past century. For many years, we have witnessed the sediment pour out of the Waiapu River mouth, changing the ecology of the coastal environment. Mass erosion caused over the past century has a devastating impact on the coast and ocean. The Waiapu River has the highest sediment yield of any river in Aotearoa and one the highest in the world.

 Years ago, Graeme—a Te Papa Atawhai Department of Conservation ranger—had the vision to video the eroding gullies at Waiorongomai from the air, to show the scale of erosion and how it impacts downstream. A suite of new video works were created collaboratively. Graeme lives on the lower reaches of the Waiapu River and Natalie is a trustee of whanau land there.  In this work, we visit one of the largest eroded gully complexes in the country, Waiorongomai. Much of this video footage was recorded on November 11th, 2018, the one-hundred anniversary of Armistice Day, World War One. We returned in winter to make detailed studies of the sedimentary rocks which were pushed up out of the ocean, relatively recently, in geological time. Parawhenuamea, the atua (deity) of alluvial waters, is also a maker of land, carrying sediment loads to the ocean.

We follow the water flow from mist, rains and streams down the river to the moana—the ocean. Cinematographer Sam Britten recorded this with us on November 11, 2018, Armistice Day. Intrigued by the fragility of the rocks, Alex, Graeme and I returned to Waiorongomai make detailed studies this July. Rachel Shearer has contributed an audio composition that includes granular fragments of Graeme’s dialogue.

Our title for the works is Te rerenga pōuri o nga parawhenua ki Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa in response to the desolate journey of the erosion sediment to the ocean. Parawhenuamea, the atua (deity) of alluvial waters, is also a maker of land, carrying sediment loads to the ocean.

Film credits:

Sam Britten — Aerial cinematographer

Rachel Shearer — Original sound